The Troodos Taverna in Leicester

October 18, 2016

I’m really excited about this review. The Troodos Taverna is run by our good friends Pez and Antri and is an authentic Greek Cypriot restaurant (the only one in Leicester). It’s been around for 20 years (I’ve been going for 8!) and was started by Pez’s father Leon who came over to the UK many years ago to try and make a better life for his family.

Anyway – as you can imagine we eat here quite a lot. The reason I haven’t done a review until now is because we have been working with Troodos to try and create a vegan-friendly menu. They’ve always been vegan-friendly, but it’s never been on the menu (until now).

So ok, here’s my review. Obviously I’m a bit biased as I love this place and the owners, but trust me, the food is really good.

The restaurant itself is located in Glenfield in a little strip mall, making it not the best location for an evening meal out, I’ll admit. You also would have no idea it’s there unless you were looking for it. But once you step inside, the muraled walls, pine furniture and Cypriot memorabilia instantly transfers you to a mediterranean taverna that could easily be in Greece or Cyprus.

The food is traditional Cypriot food – mezzes, salads, dips… fresh, vibrant, wholesome food. For vegans, there are lots of starters and sides that are ideal for sharing including hummus and salad, as well as crispy potatoes, garlic green beans, Greek cous cous and pittas. For the main course, Pez and Antri serve up freshly made, hot dolmades that are cooked in a lovely tomato sauce. The dolmades are stuffed with rice and finely chopped veggies and are truly delicious.

To go with dinner, you can get a Keo beer which is vegan, or a bottle of Keo wine (also vegan). And finally, to round it all out, there are traditional Cypriot sweets that are vegan as well. It’s the perfect meal to share with friends – lots of dishes to pick from, whiling away the evening over wine while enjoying something a bit different.

Troodos Taverna only do mezzes on Saturdays, so just be aware of that if you want to go in at the weekend (and the mezzes are huge!). They also do special Bouzuki music nights which are SO FUN. Seriously. They get Nick the Greek to play music and sing, and by the end of the evening everyone in the restaurant is up dancing. I highly recommend it.

If you do go to Troodos – I would suggest calling ahead to make a reservation and to let them know that you are a vegan so they are ready for you when you come. You can also say Lindsay made the recommendation and they’ll be sure to look after you 🙂